Knead to know

The principle ingredient in bread is flour, which can be derived from any number of cereal grains, including wheat, rye, barley, corn and oats. A gluten-free flour can also be made from seeds, such as buckwheat, teff or millet.

STAGES OF BREADMAKING

Kneading

While you can use a machine with a dough hook, great pleasure can be had from kneading the dough manually. You will feel the change in the dough through your hands – from tacky or sticky, to elastic and smooth. What you are actually doing is forming a network of gluten, giving the dough elasticity and texture. Dough that is enriched with eggs and butter is sticky, so is best made with a machine.

Proving

After kneading, bread is set aside to continue to expand, though at a slower rate. The advantage of a slow rise is a better texture and taste.